Thanks for the suggestions and non-recommendations guys! We are looking into all of them. I'll post our experience.

I can't wait to get there and de-ice my toes.

We are expecting 2 feet of snow tonight. The grocery stores here are a nightmare with people stocking up on bread, milk and eggs. It's like: "OMG, it's going to snow, we HAVE to make french toast"!

C-Man! What's up?! I am planning to take some friends to Chichen soon, any ideas on what we should/ or who we should ask about touring? It's been several years since I've visited. The last 2 times I went my tours were cut short due to tormenta's. Maybe this will be my lucky trip.

Here are some very, very basic tips for getting the most from your visit to Chichen Itza:

1) Arrive early. Very early. Like 8 a.m. early, if you can, when the archaeological zone opens. The vendors are only beginning to trickle in and there are no tour buses. When I was last there, there was only a French couple wandering around El Castillo. We had the place to ourselves.

2) Hire a guide. Go for it! Fully a third of what they tell you is crap or conjecture, but they know a lot of good info. Only do this if you or your guests are interested in Maya culture. I can give you the name of a guide if you want to arrange something in advance.

3) Exit the park before noon, or better, 11. Once the turistas come in their buses, it gets nutty. And the vendors, except for my friends who work there, are obnoxious.

4) Visit Balancanche. It is a cave a couple of kilometers past Chichen Itza on the Libre. I think it is marvelous! The guides, however, are more comfortable with Spanish.

5) Have lunch at the Hacienda Chichen, my personal favorite. If you go the Hacienda Chichen and are serenaded by a trova trio, be sure to tip them generously as they are good friends of mine. While there, ask to speak with Naturalist Jim. I have no idea if he wants people to bother him, but he is a gringo who lives in a Maya hut on the property and has a wealth of information about the flora and fauna around Chichen. I intend to spend some time with him when I go down. Feel free to mention my name (Josh, not Coyote Man), although I doubt it will gain you any favors.

If you're itching to move on, head into Valladolid. William Lawson recently re-visited a restaurant there I want to try, Taberna de los Frailes , which is owned by Maruja Barbachano. Perhaps if you are in Yucatan when I arrive in March, you can take me there -- your treat (with Senor Inquisidora, of course, to chaperone to make certain everything is proper).

6) Take a brief sidetrip to Uayma. There is a very cool church that has a facade that has recently been restored. Very impressive. Don't get suckered by the locals into seeing the cenote. Although a nice one, when I was there there was a mattress floating in it along with other garbage.

Of course I don't have to tell you to bring plenty of water, a broad-brimmed hat, comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen and bug repellent. Feel free to contact me directly if you would like some more information.

We have used Easy Way the last 3 times we have been down and they have been great. The only hiccup we had the last 2 times was that the paper permit taped to the back window expired while I had possesion of the car. We had to phone, let them know that we needed a new one and then go down to their office the next day to get the new permit. FYI the permit is used in place of a licence plate so you need it to be current because you do tend to be pulled over more often by the police when they notice you have no plates..

I booked a car via www.carrentals.com for one of our guests last week. The rate for same day pickup at Hertz Fiesta Americana was 17.99 per day for an Economy car. Insurance was not required since it was paid for by credit card. After taxes, it came out to $24 per day, unlimited. Our guest was very happy with the car. We have used this booking site before and have always found great rates.

My husband has reminded me that we used Easy Way a few times with no problems over the years. However, we will look into some of the other agencies to compare. Thanks!

Dave in Ont, With AMEX you are covered in Mexico for damage to the car and medical expenses, but any other vehicle or people in other vehicles are not covered. You pay an extra expense for rental coverage.

CoyoteMan, thank you so much for your outline of the basics. Just what I was looking for. I will lay it all out for my posse. You can count on me to tip the trova. I'll let you know what happens. I think I will pass on the mattress cenote and Mr Jim, although he sounds like quite a character.

P.S. How'd you do in the Snowpocalyse? I saw that the Cape had blizzard conditions. We did get 28 inches. The most in the state. Our city was at a standstill yesterday. The news reports that for the first time every state has snow except for Florida.

@Senora-Inquisidora. The blizzard was an inconvenience, but only that. We got a few inches, nowhere near what the rest of New England received, thanks to the currents of the Atlantic ocean that surround our lovely peninsula of Cape Cod like a warm blanket.

@Chuck. If your guests had been in an accident, without proof of insurance there is a good chance they would have been hauled off to jail. One of the more famous Merida Insider posts was about a member who was in an accident, had no 800 number for his insurance, and spent a few days as a guest of the state of Yucatan. Always get insurance, liability at the very least, and make certain you do not leave the rental car agency without a toll-free number to call in case of an accident.

Senora-Inquisidora ; The only insurance that really counts is what you purchase at the counter, forget your credit card ,that will cover a car and maybe property but it will do nothing for you if you hurt or injure a person (possibly the town chichen or horse)I"m not kidding,Max your liabilty even if it doubles your rate for your rental,having any accident is not nice,but getting home is pricesless. (Bin there done that,it aint fun)!

A precaution about relying upon "credit card insurance" for car rentals:

We researched this thoroughly a while back and the reality wasn't nearly as good as the marketing department would have you believe. AMEX is generally considered to have "the best" or most comprehensive car rental insurance coverage via credit card when out of the USA.

But here's the kicker that you don't know until: 1) you get into an accident and expect they will do anything to help you (they won't! they only "make good" the charges you later prove to them); or 2) stay on the phone over and over until you find someone who will send you the precise paperwork stating what the rental car coverage actually is.

The upshot is this: AMEX covers the gap between what your own car insurance covers and the damages done. In the event that your own car insurance will not cover any overseas accidents in any way whatsoever, AMEX will "approximate" your own coverage but will not exceed it.

What does that mean in reality? For people who drive new cars all the time and carry full coverage, including liability, personal injury, collision and comprehensive, along with uninsured motorist, etc, then AMEX will cover much of your costs, but only after the fact. If you drive a paid-off car, do not carry collision or comprehensive or whatever, then you will not be covered for those by AMEX either.

AMEX WILL NOT SEND AN AGENT TO THE SCENE to help you negotiate with the police and the other driver(s) insurance agents who WILL appear. You will be entirely on your own.

AMEX WILL NOT ADVANCE YOU MONEY AGAINST DAMAGES/INJURIES TO OTHERS. They will only reimburse your proven expenses, fully, partially, or not at all, depending on your own insurance coverage and the events as AMEX determines them to be about the accident.

If you are in an accident in Mexico, and you cannot pay for the other driver(s) damages or heaven forbid, someone has a serious personal injury, AMEX will not keep you out of jail. (nor will any other credit card insurance)

To stay out of jail, you must have an insurance agent from a company that carries insurance on THAT car APPEAR at the ACCIDENT SCENE.

That is only possible if you have purchased insurance for the rental car or otherwise have arranged for yourself to be covered [by a company that maintains live representation] while driving a rental car by a Mexican insurance agency with a presence in your area of travel.

The police are not going to let you walk off from a personal injury accident or even an accident with severe property/collision damage on your say-so that "AMEX will take care of it."

Now, most of us never have an accident. Most of us never will injure someone while driving. But, how long does a stay in a Mexican jail have to be before it begins to seem wise to carry Mexican insurance?

Personally, I have driven cars (rental and borrowed from friends) which were uninsured. I drove with utmost caution. Fortunately, I squeaked by, but I knew the danger I was in; the risk I had accepted.

I have been struck from behind while sitting still at a red light by a stone drunk driver going 20 mph at 10:00 am in broad daylight on a weekday in Merida. Fortunately, the truck I had borrowed was insured, I had a cell phone, and I was able to call the 800 # on the insurance policy in the glove box, speak Spanish to the company, and have an agent appear on the scene.

Also, fortunately, the heavy steel work-bumper absorbed some impact and let the drunk's hood, engine, windshield, bumper and fenders absorb all the rest. His car was totaled. The insurance agent handled everything. I only had to wait the two hours it took the police and agents to settle their paperwork.

Things do happen to the most careful people. If anyone wants to rely on Visa (ha!) or American Express (well, better, but still...) for their coverage, just be aware: that type of "coverage" is financial and after-the-fact only, will not represent your interests at the scene, and will not keep you out of jail.

A friend was involved in a fatal auto accident on the Progreso to Merida highway last year, and even though not at fault and with all the insurances safely in place, still spent two worrisome, nasty days in jail.